soft noise in the branches
overheadan owl drooling gibbets
of luckless mousebig eyes constricting
in the flashlight beamshort circuit -- or the
battery goingone mouse eye turning
back a vacant stareis a small red light
that fadesdarkness maps the scene
in memorythat starlight horizon
through the treesmight be the roadsmall bones crackinggravel crunching underfoota life of ceaseless gnawing
-- then surpriseresolve to give up superstitionover one shoulder --
flapping wings